I never said I wanted all the ducts replaced; I want them all inspected to see which ones were damaged, rather than just assuming that only the two I heard are the only ones that were damaged, which is the way things were going before I talked to the manager today. I am giving them the opportunity to fix it, but I will inspect their work as it's being done and afterward.

Interestingly, the manager I spoke to was not surprised this happened. He said it is a rare but regular occurrence, affecting about 1% of all cleanings they do. I'm not sure how much I believe that statistic, and a lot of it probably has to do with owners not being as diligent or observant. If I hadn't heard that faint rustling sound in the return I would have never suspected anything was wrong. He said the only sure way to avoid damaging flex duct liners would be for COIT to refuse to clean flex ducts, which would be "throwing the baby out with the bath water," as he said. In other words COIT considers the possibility of damaging and having to replace your ducts an acceptable risk.

Or more accurately, COIT considers the possibility of an owner noticing that a duct has been damaged and complaining about it as an acceptable risk.

So if you have flex ducts and have had them cleaned, check them out. I found I could stick my cellphone video camera up into a vent and look down a good portion of the flex duct, which clearly showed me the damage.

I do know that after this experience I will never have the flex ducts cleaned again. If I feel that they get dirty enough to warrant it, I will simply have them replaced. May cost more but if they're going to be damaged during cleaning anyway, then may as well go that route to begin with.

Against my better judgment, I can't resist the urge to reply to this.

First; I do not know anything about the company you hired, good or bad.

You hired them to perform a service & they did what you asked.

It is a given that cleaning flexible ducts is a slippery slope. But, when one considers the reward vs the risk, the risk is acceptable in any case.

In your case, some damage was done to a duct or two.

When you called them; they took your call & sent someone out right away & agreed to rectify the problem(s). This does not seem like the actions of someone trying to give you the run-around.

With all due respect, Sir, I believe you're being a bit unreasonable. Let them do what they said they will do to fix it & then, if they are unable to fix it or become unwilling to see it through, then you have reason to act the way you are acting now. But, not until then.

JMO

01-05-2013, 08:48 PM

Strkout499

The company I work for doesn't recommend duct cleaning. When I am asked by customers, I normally give them a few reasons why:
1) Do you have a filter in your system? You should... That should catch a good portion of the dust, dirt, hair, etc that may get into your system. However, filters aren't perfect. Their primary purpose is to keep the equipment reasonably clean, yet with today's marketing a big emphasis has been placed on improving air quality. If they were perfect, then you wouldn't be able to get any airflow from your system! If air quality is your concern, we offer an electronic air cleaner that could do the job.
2) Do you see particles coming from your registers? That may actually be attic insulation coming from leaks in the ductwork. Ductwork installed today (at least in my area) is put through a much tougher standard than it was when your home was built. Back then cloth backed tape was sufficient for joints, however 30 year old duct tape that has been through the extremes of your furnace and air conditioner has probably deteriorated considerably. Today (again in my area), we use a mastic as well as a metal backed tape that creates a much better seal. Regulations require 6% or less duct loss for new duct systems, we frequently see it down to 3%, whereas there was quite possibly no requirement when your system was installed.
3) EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU! Then I tell them about wireflex, and how easy it is to tear apart the inner duct.

I don't mean to bash on duct cleaning, and in extreme cases do we recommend it. However, our company ourselves does not do it. Anybody out there who does do duct cleaning, what are some of your reasons for it?

01-05-2013, 09:59 PM

jimj

1 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strkout499

. Anybody out there who does do duct cleaning, what are some of your reasons for it?

...is that a bird? Like I said, for extreme cases we do recommend it. I did have a call once from a landlord who said that the tenants just moved out and the ducts were smelly. I get there, the whole house wreaks, find that the previous tenants took off the ceiling SA registers and threw fish in the ducts, turned the tstat up, and moved out. The landlord was fairly rude to me, so I can only imagine how he was to the tenants, but there was no cleaning those. That house got brand new ductwork a few days later.

01-11-2013, 11:28 PM

phxhvac

The whip duct cleaning works well for metal trunk line duct runs, with a strong vacuum attached to the trunk line. I would never try to attempt flex duct cleaning. It damages the lining and insulation in the duct every time. Brushes are just a bad idea with flex.

03-12-2013, 10:05 PM

powderedtoastman

We used to clean flex duct all the time with bristle brushes, specifically air care brushmaster. We have had 5 cases of torn ductwork in 3 years. However, I will admit that it's impossible to inspect every square inch of ductwork for tears after it has been brushed. An air whip is safer for the flex duct, but doesn't get the duct nearly as clean as a roto brush.

03-13-2013, 02:38 AM

DeltaT

I give the company points for responding. Some of the wording in the contrat you signed typically will say something about them not be able to be responsible for any damage to the inner liner that might take place.

Typically, most companies will respond and replace short sections but it sounds like these guys are willing to go the extra mile.

And, no, I also don't recommend duct cleaning. What I recommend if the homeownere wants to know the conditions of his duct work, is having an HVAC company take apart accessable ducts joints and inspect the ducts by actually looking. A remote camera is also a valuable tool in this effort too.

What flex ducts might have stuff in them is typically easier to replace then to clean in any fashion suing brushes or vacuums which will and can damage that inner liner as you know.

03-14-2013, 03:17 PM

unc99

I agree with others that I would give the company a question a fair chance to review and fix the problem. I would, however, be concerned that if you are able to see rips and tears in the accessable parts of the flex duct, that it is like that throughout. I'm no expert and dont know what the cost of cleaning is, but I'd wonder if it is not just easier and more effective to replace flex duct for which there is a substantail concern of excessive dirt and debris than try to have it cleaned. I replaced several runs of flex duct at my house for less than $200, and did not find it difficult. But I researched how to do it properly instead of just slapping it on like most homeowners probably would.